Saturday & Sunday - Two most amazing days of learning. 14-15APR18

Tel Dan today

Could you ever imagine Israel looking like this?  It felt like those walks through the Everglades, but the North, the West and the upper altitudes are "wet" while the South, the East and the lower altitudes are dry.  So the past couple of days have had some amazing surprises.

Jen descending Arbel

Yesterday began with a drive then climb up Mount Arbel, which may be the mountain mentioned in Matt 14 where Jesus withdrew to pray.  It drops precipitously to the shores of the Sea of Galilee right above Migdal.  The vistas up there are just amazing and Jen along with the younger ones in the troup climbed down the front side while we drove to pick them up. 

Then we visited Migdal - the home of one of Jesus key disciples, Mary of  Migdal (thus the identifier "Magdalene").  Archaeologists only recently uncovered a synagogue there where we can be certain Jesus preached (Luke 8:1-2).  I've looked at the same hills Jesus looked at and it's likely I've looked at the same floor stones he would have seen.

Synagogue at Migdal

We visited Capernaum and there learned about the purpose and scope of a synagogue in Jesus' day.  There the largest first century synagogue was found.  We discovered that of all the religious groups of his day Jesus' theology was closest to the Pharisees, believing in the inspiration of scripture, the resurrection, angels and demons:  and saying to his disciples, "Listen to what they say. Just don't do what they do." (Matt 23:3)    

I love this photo...
Opening God's Word
every step of the way

Then to the Mount of Beatitudes where we spent a great time talking about Jesus lifestyle, genuinely loving our enemies what it means to be salt and light as the ones blessed in their poverty of spirit, mourning, famished for righteousness, etc. There is no challenge in life as demanding becoming like Jesus in his heart and his words and his actions.   Bethsaida is an interesting, unpretentious place; home of Andrew, Peter, James, John.  There we talked about the feeding of the 5000 and the 4000 and the amazing allusions to and fulfillment of the OT.  

Wow! What a day!

So that brings us to today, Sunday.  We began at Gamla, site of the earliest battles of the Jewish rebellion that resulted in the destruction of the Temple and ended with Masada.  Did you know that what our bibles translate as eagles are really the vultures that circle above here in the heights.  To the ancients, they were noble, strong, graceful birds... symbolizing God's strength and constancy.  Shocked? I'd read that before, but now we saw them.  Amazing birds.

This is the type of
roof dug through to bring
a paralytic to be healed

Then we visited Katzrin, a reconstructed village to what it would have looked like in Jesus day.  Amazing to see things like winnowing forks, lamps on stands, sleeping quarters, home construction and daily tools. We talked there about the concrete nature of Jesus' teaching and the life of a disciple.  Too often we moderns spiritualize and let ourselves off-the-hook from the life Jesus has really called us to live.

So we then went as far North as we might go in Israel, to the Syrian border.  There, we encountered some U.N. peacekeeping forces from a variety of European nations.  Jen bought honey from a seller of the Druze sect.  Best I've ever tasted.

We then went to Caesarea Philippi, and heard Jesus again question, "Who do you say that I am?"  We remember Peter's life changing confession... but did you know this was a pagan site where Pan was worshiped with wicked debauchery.  And did you know that the cave pictured here was known as the "gates of hades" (a channel to the underworld) from which Pan was thought to emerge as beckoned by the pagan debauchery.  Other rich discoveries from the text made us scratch our heads and squint to see what Jesus might really be saying.  Great discoveries there on what the "keys to the kingdom" might involve along with "binding" and "loosing." What would those mean in a Rabbinic teaching context?  God's teaching us lots!

Our final visit for today was Tel Dan where in the early divided kingdom Jeroboam set up pagan altars as competing places of worship in Jerusalem. (1Kings 12:29)  We walked over the hill for a glimpse of Israel's other Northern border with Lebanon.  Then we walked around the hill to an uncovered ancient Canaanite gate dated to the early or middle Bronze Age that we can be quite sure Abraham actually walked through. (Gen 14)

So sorry for burdening you with two days discoveries.  It's an amazing study tour.  You've gotta not only have good feet, ankles and legs (of which I have none) but you have to have a quick mind (don't got that either, but I'm having a blast!).